Lower Back Pain: Causes, Self-Care and When to See a Specialist

Why lower back pain happens

The lower back carries load every time you sit, bend, lift or twist. Pain often follows an unusual effort, a long period of sitting, poor sleep or a stressful period, sometimes with no obvious trigger at all.

Scans often show “wear and tear” changes such as disc bulges, but these are also common in people with no pain, so they rarely explain symptoms on their own.

What helps in the first few days

For most uncomplicated episodes, these steps help:

• Keep moving within comfort. Short, frequent walks are ideal
• Avoid long periods of bed rest
• Use heat for comfort if it helps
• Change position often when sitting
• Return to normal activities gradually rather than waiting for pain to vanish

When to book an osteopath or physiotherapist

Book an assessment if pain is not clearly improving after one to two weeks, is stopping you from working, sleeping or exercising, keeps coming back, or travels into your buttock or leg.

A clinician can identify what is driving your pain, provide hands-on relief and give you a plan to prevent recurrences.

Red flags: when to seek urgent medical care

Contact a doctor or emergency service immediately if back pain comes with:

• Numbness or tingling around the genitals, buttocks or inner thighs
• New difficulty passing urine, or loss of bladder or bowel control
• Progressive weakness in one or both legs
• Fever, unexplained weight loss or a history of cancer
• Pain after a significant fall or accident